The present invention relates to a guiding element for toy vehicle models, which is composed of a synthetic profiled member bendable in one plane. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a guiding element which is formed as a synthetic plastic profiled member provided with two parallel longitudinal grooves, and has two wire bands which are received in the longitudinal grooves, are bendable together with the profiled member, and retain the latter in a respective curved position.
Structural assembly kits are known including a guiding element which is formed as a profiled member and has such a cross-section that it can bend in one plane. The synthetic plastic material of the profiled member possesses, however, elastic properties. Thereby, in order to form a guiding element with a curved shape, it is necessary to provide an additional shape-retaining structure. In order to provide for an individual configuration of the guiding element in a simple manner and without an additional shape-retaining structure, it was proposed in the parent application to insert wire bands in the longitudinal grooves of a profiled member, which can be bent together with the profiled member and at the same time retain the respective curved shape of the latter. The wire bands are constituted of a very soft low pulling-resistant metal which has almost no inherent elasticity. Thereby the wire bands can be bent and retained in each curved form very easily. The bending property in one plane of the synthetic plastic profiled member is attained by a rectangular cross-section of the profiled member, so that the latter has a small moment of resistance in the above-mentioned one plane. The wire band counteracts the elastic force taking place because of the elasticity of the synthetic plastic profiled member and fixes the latter in its curved position. The rectangular vertically elongated cross-section of the profiled member posesses, however, some disadvantages. There are some difficulties in placing the rails in the guiding element because the smaller side of the profiled member provides for only a small supporting face for the rails. Furthermore, the toy vehicle which is guided on the rails must have a relatively high wheel base, which makes necessary great proportions of the toy vehicle. Moreover, it is difficult to mount such a guiding element on a support.